Respirator



H. 5. COVER RESPIRATOR Filed Dec 26,

June 14, 1938.

1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l a; azz n'z j.

awzzmw June 14, 1938. H. 5. COVER 2,120,231

RES P IRA'IOR Filed Dec. 26, 1935 3'Sheets-Sheet 2 a6 jiz z'azziaz June14, 1938. H, s covgR 2,120,231

RESPIHATOR Filed Dec. 26, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WEE/249355;. 56''. m

Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RESPIRATOR Harvey 8.Cover, South Bend, Ind. Application December 26, 1935, Serial No. 56,2559 Claims. (01. 128-146) Myinvention' relates to improvements inrespirators and has for an object the production of an improved deviceto be used for protecting the user from dust, smoke, and noxious gasesof various kinds.

A specific object is the provision of a respirator provided with filterboxes which are compact and space-saving and at the same time areeffective to admitthe desired flow of air. Space-saving is accomplishedby providing a. thumb rest, or equivalent means, on the outside face ofthe inner element of the filter box, so the middle finger of the lefthand can be placed in the air. opening in this element as a support, andthe thumb rested against or supported against the above mentioned thumbrest in such manner as to be able to screw the lid or outer element onor off the inner element, while at the same time the outer element mayextend clear across or over the margin of the inner element. Heretofore,in the art, this has been impossible to accomplish when .both elementshave been grasped at the-outer margin of their circumferences.

Another object is the provision of a respirator which has theadvantageof having filter boxes or chambers which are removable and alsoadjustable in accordance with sight requirements among other reasons.

' admit the desired flow of air.

Still another object is the provision of a re-v I versible respiratorprovided with filter boxes which may be adjusted to permit reversibilitywithout any interference with vision, etc. For

example, in the form shown, I have disclosed a reversible respiratorhaving filter boxes which may be adjusted to top, intermediate, or lowpositions. This respirator may be reversed without anydisadvantageswhatever as to filter boxes which have the advantage of being capable ofadjustment to any position.

Myinvention makes possible the use of an unusually large diameter offilter box in a respirator and any disadvantages in the way of visionare eliminated .by virtue of the adjustability ofthe filter box.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a compact and lightrespirator provided with filter boxes of the character described, and arespirator having desirable audibility without any specially designedvalves, such as a vibrating diaphragm.-

Another object is the provision of an exhaust Fig, 1;

valve provided with a minimum of contact between the valve and valveseat whereby any danger of sticking or sluggishness is eliminated. Afurther object is the provision of a filter box provided withcorrugations arranged to ad mit the air in a most efficient manner andone My invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawingain which: {r

Fig.1 1 is a front'vie'w of the device as applied to a face, showing thefiltering boxes'in intermediate position; a

Fig. 2 is a similar view to that-of Fig. 1, showing the box on the leftside (looking at the drawings) in low position, and the other box inintermediate position, either of the boxes being-capable of being movedto highposition; i

Fig. 3.is a section taken on the Fig; 4 is a view of the outside faceof. the inner element ofone of the filter boxes; p

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a sectiontakenon the line 8-6 of l ig. 5, showing the face of the inner element of thebox :opposite to that face shown in Fig. 4;- Fig. 7 is a face view ofthe outside of the outer element of the box: 7

Fig.8 is a. view substantially similar to Fig. 5, showing some of theparts disassembled; and r Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating themanner of adjustment.- j

has-been selected to illustrate the said invention, includes arespirator bodyihli,

provided with cut-outs it to accommodate the,

nose of a wearer. Also 'in the form shown a This'ahd others of theinventive features in the device shown have been, covered in previousapplicaline a of g 35 The preferred form of my invention which;

principle 1' of! 40. guard of cloth or other material is shown wo'm inconjunction with. the respirator;

particularly in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, In the form shown it will be notedthat one oftthe openings is superimposed over the other. located in thehousing I] is a valve seat I! which in. the form I9 is provided aroundthe openings 24 with sharp flared edges 25, particularly shown in Fig.3. By the arrangement of the sharp flared edges 25 with the valve 26there is only a minimum of contact between the valve and valve seat inthe valve area, and this arrangement of the sharp flared edges has theadvantage of eliminating any tendency there might be for the valve tostick or adhere momentarily to the valve seat or to act sluggishly, forexample, under unusual atmospheric conditions.

The valve 26 is a flat valve which is oval in form as described inprevious applications filed by me and is attached in the central area.of the valve as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. By virtue of the arrangement asdisclosed in the previous applications, the valve 26-lies against thevalve seat with a minimum of contact in the valve opening area. Thevalve is normally closed to seal off tightly the outside air, and at thesame time has a sensitive action to meet all the needs of expiration.

The body portion l5 looking at the drawings as shown in Figs. 1 and2,has an integral right wall 23 and integral left wall 29, and the walls28 and 29 are each provided with an opening 30 as shown in Fig. 5.Adapted to be secured to, each of these walls 23 and 29 in the area ofthe opening 39 is a fllter box. There are two of these filter boxes anda description of one of these boxes and the means for connecting andsupporting it to the body will suffice, the boxes and connecting andsupporting means being the same in' each case.

Adapted to fit into one of the openings 39 is a flanged, threadedlocking cap 3| having an opening 32, which cap is also adapted to fltinto an oif-center opening 33 in the base of an inner element 34, which,with an outer element 35, comprises each of the two filter boxes 36.These parts are clearly shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 8. For securing theinner element 34 to the wall 23, for example, a threaded locking-ring 31is adapted to be screwed on the flanged locking cap, the ring 31 havingthumb and finger cut-outs 33' for convenience in turning as shown inFig. 8. Each of the inner elements 34 has a threading flange 39 and aretaining flange 49 as shown in Figs. 4, 5,

and 6, perpendicular to said flange 39, which flange 49 has theadvantage of properly positioning the fllter material in the fllter box,as will be more evident hereinafter. Each of the inner elements 34 isprovided with three pockets, 4|, 42, and 43, as shown inFlgs. 4 and 6;to wit, a top pocket 4|, an intermediate pocket 42, and bottom pocket43, arranged in a radial manner in relation to the opening 33 toaccommodate one of the nuts 44 which secure one end of a strap 45 to thebody l5 and also provide raised portions to keep the fllter element awayfrom the side wall of the inner element. The arrangementjust describedhas the advantage among others that by unscrewing the ring 31 the fllterbox may easily be detached from the body l5, and furthermore may be aiusted to any position desired. For example, in Fig. 1, both of thefilter boxesare in intermediate position, whereas inFig. 2 one of theboxes is in intermediate position and th other is in the lowermostposition. This lowered position is also clear from Fig. 6, at B. Byloosening the nut and moving the inner element 34 in a radial manner theinner element 34 may be moved to any one of three positions, and ofcourse the positions fnay be made as numerous as desired. Fig. 6, at Ashows the outline of the box in the uppermost position. When the innerelement 34 has been swungto the positiondesired, the ring may be screwedon the locking cap to fix the position. Thus, if a user desires to havethe filter boxes in the lowest position so that he can see more easily,or if he desires them in some other position for some reason. adjustmentcan be speedily made. It will be noted that the nut 44 will registernicely with each of the pockets.

A knurled knob or thumb rest 46 is fixed to the base of the element 34for resting the thumb against the same when it is desired to screwelement 35 on or off. As shown in Fig. 9, the handiest way to do this isto place the middle finger of the left hand (shown in dotted outline) inopening 33 and the opposable thumb against thumb rest 46 in propermanner'to screw element 35 on or 011?.

The purpose of this thumb rest is to make it possible to extend element35 clear over the circumferential margin of the inner element 34, thusreducing the depth of the fllter box to the smallest possible amount.Without thumb rest 46 or its equivalent, in combination with opening 33,a

material reduction of the depth of the fllter box would be impossible,because there is nothing else to grasp when outer element 35 extendsclear over and beyond the circumferential margin of element 34.

The aforementioned outer element 35 is adapt: ed to be threaded on theinner element 34 clear across its circumferential margin and is providedwith a base 41. The base 41 as particularly shown in Fig. '1 has anouter circular ridge 43 and an inner circular ridge 49, the inner ridgebeing greater than the outer as shown in Fig. 5. The base 41 has anouter depressed portion 53 and an inner or central depressed portion 5|.The base 41 has a plurality of holes or apertures 52 which arepreferably not located at the tops of the ridges nor at the bottoms'ofthe depressions, except in the case of the center hole, for the purposeof having the greatest strength at the point of greatest advantage, andto provide a more satisfactory air passage. With the apertures on thesides of the ridges, for example, the air will pass easily into theinside spaces of the filter box formed between the outer element 35 andthe fllter. The arrangement maintains a proper space relation betweenthe base 41 and the fllter 53 adapted to be supported in the outerelement 3.5, which element has a threaded flange 54' adapted to threadon the flange 39 of the inner element 34 to lock the filter in placeagainst the retaining flange no further explanation is needed of thestruc- 'ture, operation, and advantages of the invention. f P

It should. be understood that what I have disclosed is merely apreferred embodiment selected for purposes of illustration to illustratethe principle of my invention; and it should be under stood that while Ihave shown certain forms of filter, boxes and certain means ofadjustment and removability, for example, the invention is not confinedto the means shown, and these means including the ridge and depressionarrangements of the filter boxes and the other features, may be modifiedwithout departing from my invention, 1

While I have illustrated and described therefore the preferred form ofstructure for carryin my invention into effect, I do not wish to belimited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire toavail myself of such variations and modifications as come within thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a respirator, a body portion and a removable filter box mountedeccentrically of the filter box on the side of said body portion andadjustable about the mounting, substantially as described.

2. In a respirator, a body portion provided with an exhaust valve and aplurality of removable filter boxes mounted eccentrically of the filterboxes on the sides of said body portion and adjustable about themounting.

3. In a respirator, a body portion providedwith an exhaust valve and aremovable and adjustable filter element, and means for securing saidfilter element to said body portion, said means including an openflanged cap and a locking ring adapted to thread on said cap.

4. In a respirator, a body portion having an exhaust valve, a head straphaving securing means, and a filter box secured thereto and having innerand outer elements and a filter,

said inner element of said filter box being provided with a plurality ofpockets adapted to receive said head strap securing means, the

5', walls of said pockets forming raised portions adapted to keep thefilter element spaced from the side wall of the inner element, wherebyto facilitate passage of air to the interior of the body portion, afterfiltration.

5. In a respirator, having a body portion, an exhaust valve, and afilter box having inner and outer elements, the combination of a flangedlocking cap having an opening and adapted to secure said filter box tosaid body portion, and a thumb rest on said inner element, said capopening and said thumb rest being adapted to provide engaging means fora finger and thumb of one hand to facilitate attachment and detachmentof said inner and outer elements.

' 6. In a respirator, a body portion and a filter element, said filterelement comprising a plate eccentrically mounted on said body, a filterand filter retaining means detachably connected to said plate and meansfor securing said filter element in adjusted position about saideccentric mounting.

7. In a respirator, a body portion and a filter box secured thereto,said filter box comprising an inner element attached to the bodyportion, an outer element detachably connected to the inner element, anda filter element secured between said inner-and outer elements at theperiphery thereof, said outer element including a perforated platecompletely covering the filter element and provided with means engagingportions of said filter element remote from the periphery to maintainthe same out of contact with the major portion of said perforated plate,

' substantially as described.

8. In a respirator, a body portion and a filter box secured thereto,said filter box comprising an inner element attached to the bodyportion, an outer element detachably connected to the inner element, anda filter element secured between said inner and outer elements, saidouter element including a concentrically corrugated plate completelycovering the filter element and provided with a plurality ofperforations and means on the inner element remote from the peripherythereof for spacing the filter element therefrom. I

9. In a respirator, a body portion and a filter box secured thereto,said filter box comprising an innerelement. attached to the bodyportion, an outer element detachably connected to the inner element, anda filter element secured between said inner and outer elements, saidouter element including a concentrically corrugated plate completelycovering the filter element and provided with a plurality ofperforations and a plurality of outwardly extending portions on theinner element remote from the periphery thereof for spacing the filterelement therefrom.

HARVEY S. COVER.

